The Ripple Effect The Music Commentary Radio Show on Blog Talk Radio Month: 07/2008

On Demand Episodes 23988

Date / Time: 7/31/2008 7:48 PM UTC

Field Report (7/12/08): The Musical Adventures of Racer and Pope JTE

When we set out on this trek, Racer and I had no intention of including it as a Field Report. After some discussion over piping hot Venti latte’s from that big green and white caffeinated teat, we decided, ‘Hey, this adventure is a music related, Ripple Effect sponsored expedition. Let’s share with the Waveriders. Originally, the Field Report was supposed to be for capturing a live performance or two, but there’s nothing stating in our by-laws that the forum can’t be tweaked a bit. So, here you have it . . . a day in the life of Racer and Pope getting together and embracing all that is music.

Knowing that I had a good hour to hour and a half before Racer landed at John Wayne airport in Orange County, I figured that this would be a good time to assess one of the discs that’s been staring laser beams into my skull for the better part of a month. I threw in the debut disc from a San Diego outfit called Wasting June.

more . . . http://ripplemusic.blogspot.com/2008/07/field-report-71208-musical-adventures.html

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Date / Time: 7/28/2008 7:07 PM UTC

Proto-metal Report - Poobah - Undergrond

Long one of the world’s great cult treasures, Poobah, led by its fearless fret-meister Jim Gustafson, has been brandishing its unique blend of acid, psych rock for greater than 30 years now. Hailed by the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as the "world’s most collectible psych rock band," Poobah’s early LP’s, like their 1972 debut, sell for upwards of $1000 if you’re one of the lucky few who can find them. Go ahead, check ebay. It ain't there. And despite having performed at the above Hall of Fame a record 12 times, played private parties for the Who and toured with the likes of ZZ Top, Judas Priest, Alice Cooper and the James Gang, you’d still hard pressed to find a handful of people in one room familiar with the unholy pounding metallic psych madness that is Poobah.

So, today we’re here to change all that.

more . . . http://ripplemusic.blogspot.com/2008/07/proto-metal-report-poobah-undergrond.html

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Date / Time: 7/23/2008 6:46 PM UTC

UFO - Strangers in the Night - Original Version

From the very first moments, you know you're in for something big. You can sense it in the anticipation of the crowd, you can hear it in the announcer's voice as he bellows, "Hello, Chicago. Would you please welcome from England, U.F.O.!" And then it starts. Initially, just a single guitar belting out a classic riff, then the bass and drums kick in, and we're off and running. Recorded in Chicago and Louisville while the band was touring their classic Obsessions, album, Strangers in the Night, captures one of the great, unheralded metal bands at their absolute peak. Boasting the classic line-up with Michael Schenker on guitar, this is the definitive recorded performance of a vastly under-appreciated band, and, along with Thin Lizzy's "Live and Dangerous," and Kiss's "Alive," one of the best live rock albums of the seventies.

more . . . http://ripplemusic.blogspot.com/2008/07/ufo-strangers-in-night-original-version.html

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Date / Time: 7/21/2008 8:37 PM UTC

Battleroar – To Death and Beyond

As the eastern sun rises above the horizon, it illuminates a congregation of man, beast, and machine. Two armies as far as the eye can see, converge on a grassy plain. The anticipation of the coming battle weighs heavy on the hearts of the armored men. Fear permeates from the throng of bodies. Banners snap in the momentary gusts of wind as it sweeps across the fields of doom. Horns announce the approach of further garrisons, and sweat begins to bead on the brow. The multitudes suddenly part for their heroes as they prepare to lead their troops to oblivion. And then, for one brief moment . . . quiet, and peace.

Then, the two armies hurl themselves across the grasslands. Galloping towards a mirror image of itself, the first wave of attackers trample the brush and kick up dust, until the two forces ultimately collide. Before long, a tangled mass of humanity writhes in violence upon itself and blood soaks into the earth.

That’s the image I got from the first two minutes of Battleroar’s To Death and Beyond . . . epic power metal in the vein of Iron Maiden that just played tricks with my imagination. Though the lyrical content of the first track, “The Wrathforge,” doesn’t necessarily have to do with the ancient warfare of the Bronze Age, it does still have to do with the valor of battle. The feeling is conveyed well through the soaring vocals of Marco Concoreggi and the searing guitar work Kostas Tzortzis and Manolis Karazeris. The arrangement of the lead tune is complex and held together by the tight rhythm team of bassist Gus Macricostas and drummer Nick Papadopoulos. This quintet are the special forces team enlisted by one of the armies to the left, or right, of my minds eye. You know, those bad ass guys you call when the regular forces just aren’t gonna’ cut it.

more . . . http://ripplemusic.blogspot.com/2008/07/battleroar-to-death-and-beyond.html

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Date / Time: 7/18/2008 5:02 PM UTC

Space Probe Taurus - Space Probe Taurus

I don’t know about you, but it’s always pissed me off that Meatloaf’s “Bat Out of Hell” album sounded nothing like the album art. I mean, here we got this freakin’ amazing Richard Corben painting of a muscular long-haired Adonis biker rocketing out of the confines of Hell aboard his skull-faced, quadruple exhausted hog from Hades, and inside we get. . . “Paradise by the Dashboard Light?” Not to be knocking the Meatster (ok, maybe a little) but Jim Steinman’s quasi-operatic bombasts about love and teenage angst hardly warrant a cover that vicious. I mean, how much of a disconnect can you have?

But don’t worry, oh waverider, I’ve found the real album that cover was meant for. Blasting out of their own version of an acid-drenched Hell, Space Probe Taurus is a full on assault of methed up, fuzzed out, biker garage rock, brimming with enough muscle and punk energy to be deemed worthy of Corben’s masterpiece.

more . . . www.ripplemuisc.blogspot.com

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Date / Time: 7/7/2008 6:22 PM UTC

The Ripple Effect News

The Eric Hamilton Band - Keep the Change

Way back in November of 2007, I wrote a review for Eric Hamilton’s Dear Pia. That review would never have happened if it weren’t for Keep the Change. You see, several years back, Racer stumbled on this album and kicked me a copy of it. Since that fateful day, Keep the Change has steadily climbed it’s way to one of my all time favorite albums. It rocks with a southern boogie-woogie groove and it chills with a soulful and pensive swagger. Desert island material, my friends.

Alright. Let’s get to the meat of this bad boy !

Right out of the gates, Eric and the band get the groove kickin’ with “Wall to Wall.” Driven primarily by acoustic guitars, the plugged in versions simply add texture and further the emotion as the song builds to it’s ultimate climax at the chorus. And, it’s a memorable chorus at that. Eric belts out the lyrics with his uniquely flavored vocals, conveying a grip load of adolescent attitude and the need to cut loose, to get crazy, and to raise the roof. You get the point . . . it’s an up beat party number that will get you moving, and it doesn’t stop here. “Edith” picks up where “Wall to Wall” left off. Another up beat tune, and also driven by the acoustic guitars. Speaking of which, the engineers captured a great tone on the acoustics, throughout the album, as they shimmer through the mix. As the band comes out of the three headed solo of harmonica, guitar, and organ, feel the emotion as they build from the vocal / percussion break, and ultimately explode into the chorus. Magical!

The band slow things down a bit on “Jon Wayne Sunset,” but not by much and nor does this mean that the emotions taper off. This track quite possibly captures Eric’s voice at it’s very best. Through the verses, he approaches the vocals with a more understated voice, almost a drawl, and as he hits the chorus . . . That comes from the soul, my friends! A bit countrified, but the melody is as addictive as any drug out there. The lyrics get me every time and I’ve been known to belt this one out on the freeway. For any of you who’ve been stuck in traffic next to me at these moments, I apologize.

“Ain’t I A Mess” is in a similar vein as “Jon Wayne Sunset,” packed with emotional vocals, perfectly captured acoustic guitars, and a rhythm that’ll keep you bouncing. Eric Hamilton changes things up a hair with a humorous ode to some fantasy he has about Brooke Shields in “Brooke Shields’ Mouth.” This is another tune that you can’t help singing along with, especially as Eric mentions that he “wears elevator slacks and dances like Michael Jackson.” Initially, the lyrics seem a bit silly, but it’s hard to pass over anything sung with this much passion as corny. On deeper inspection, the tune is about believing in something for the simple reason that you can.

Bare with me a moment as I break into a spastic session of air drumming . . . alright. We’re good.

Eric Hamilton goes into serious chill mode on “Home Together” by dropping the tempo way down. Another great vocal performance as he gets the soul just pouring from his pipes. This is one of those tunes that will get your leaning back, putting your hands on the back of your head, and just smiling. Beautifully conveyed lyrics of spending one more night with a lover that just lift the heart. Can’t be helped. It’s powerful stuff, that love thang.

Shifting from a variety of different musical styles, Hamilton shows that he’s influenced by a muse rather than some latest trend. “Lay That Top Down” kicks in with a jazzy, swing-type thing that jumps. Pushed along by the piano work of Jeff Armstrong, this tune will have you dreaming of cuttin’ a rug swing-style. “Angry Sea” is more of a radio-ready straight up rocker. “Trouble On The Way” is along the lines of a soulful folk tune one might hear played on a porch in the deep south. “Mushrooms” is a bluesy tripped out rocker. Variety, baby!

Every time that I listen to Keep the Change, I marvel at the musicianship and passion that’s been captured. We don’t get to hear that too often, especially in this day and age of candy coated, over-produced, factory rock. Sometimes it feels that the days of the true musician . . . the guys who toil in and out of love, in and out of jail, in and out of luck, are a thing of the past. The truth is, those guys are still around, we just don’t get the opportunity to hear about them as often because the music industry is more concerned with selling music for advertisement than for musical content. The only thing Eric Hamilton’s music could be used to advertise is a bottle of backwoods hooch, a broken down shack, or a crushed up pack of cigs . . . simply because the music is real. And really, isn’t that what we all want from our music? - Pope JTE

Buy Eric Hamilton here:

www.myspace.com/erichamiltonband

rawhiderecords.com

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